South Tyneside Council leisure memberships hit an all-time high

South Tyneside Council has revealed that memberships for leisure centres across the borough are at an all-time high.

The local authority has stated that over the last 10 years, the number of people signing up for memberships has continued to grow steadily.

This is in line with major investiment into new and improved leisure facilities across South Tyneside, including the £16m swimming pool and leisure complex at Haven Point in October 2013.

This was followed by the £13m Hebburn Central development and a £3m transformation of the Jarrow Community Centre to create Jarrow Focus.

Memberships have risen from 414 in 2013 to more than 9,000 in 2023.

Cllr Audrey Huntley, Deputy Leader of South Tyneside Council with responsibility for Culture, Leisure and the Visitor Economy, has revealed that the uptake in memberships is way more than the local authority initally expected.

She said: “Physical activity is great for the body and mind and we are delighted that more and more people are choosing to use our leisure centres to keep fit and well.

“The popularity of the centres has exceeded all of our expectations.

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“We have invested millions of pounds in our leisure facilities to help improve the experience for our leisure users and provide them with the best service possible.”

South Tyneside Council has confirmed that Monkton Stadium will be the latest leisure facility to benefit from investment with the opening of its refurbished ‘green gym’ this summer.

The £700,000 revamp will help to reduce energy consumption by converting user movement into electricity, as well as adding a new sauna and changing rooms.

Work is also nearly complete on upgrading the stadium floodlights, including the replacement of the six existing lighting columns and the installation of an additional two.

As well as swimming pools and gym spaces, the Council provides more than 230 fitness classes across a wide range of disciplines, including both instructor-led and virtual sessions, across its centres.

Further information about leisure centres, facilities and memberships in the borough is available on the Council’s website at www.southtyneside.gov.uk/leisure.